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Lea Michele
'Lea Michele '''is an American actress and singer. She portrays Rachel Berry on FOX's hit TV Show, ''Glee. Awards & Nominations Drama Desk Awards - Nomination - 2007 Outstanding Actress in a Musical (Spring Awakening) Broadway.com Audience Award - Nomination 2007: Broadway.com Audience Award nomination for Favorite Leading Actress in a Broadway Musical, Spring Awakening - Nomination 2007: Broadway.com Audience Award nomination for Favorite Breakthrough Performance (Female), Spring Awakening - winner - Nomination 2007: Broadway.com Audience Award nomination for Favorite Onstage Pair (with Jonathan Groff), Spring Awakening - winner Grammy Awards - Nomination 2008 : Best Musical Show Album Spring Awakening (musical) Profile Born Lea Michele Sarfati in the Bronx, New York, Michele had no early ambition to be a singer. Her lucky break came when she tagged along with a friend to an open audition for a Broadway musical and as they say, fate stepped in. Michele was just eight when she landed her first Broadway role as the young Cosette in the New York production of Les Misérables. Three years later, Michele had a part in the original Broadway cast of Ragtime, and parts in Fiddler on the Roof and The Diary of Anne Frank swiftly followed. However, it was her role as Wendla in the new musical Spring Awakening that changed her life. Nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, Michele won rave reviews from both critics and audiences alike. While on the west coast, she went along to audition for some television pilots. The second one she read for was Glee, and she was instantly cast as high school vocal diva Rachel Berry. Making the transition from theatre to televison, Michele has continued to wow fans with her powerhouse lead vocals. In just one year, this young actress has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Teen Choice Award. She went on to win a Satellite Award in the Best Actress category and also shared a Screen Actor's Guild award for an Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. .]] Child Star: Michele has virtually grown up onstage, making her Broadway debut at age 8 as Young Cosette in Les Miserables. Landing the role from an open call, the young actress has hardly stopped working since, going from Les Miz to the Toronto and Broadway companies of Ragtime, followed by a brief stint in high school (”It was my fun, normal time!” she quips) and then the Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof. “I’ve kinda had to grow up fast,” Michele says frankly, “but it’s made me who I am. I have some awesome friends from high school, and I’ve also been able to work with people like Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell—I mean, come on! I wouldn’t change any of it. This is exactly where I want to be.” Sounds of Spring: Michele’s journey with Spring Awakening began at 14 when she originated the role of Wendla in the first workshop. Since then, she’s remained one of the only constants in the show’s development. The other constant: Duncan Sheik’s acclaimed contemporary rock score, which Michele declares she’s “obsessed” with. “I was raised on the classic Broadway shows, but there’s another side of me that’s listening to Kelly Clarkson and rockin’ out to pop music,” she says. “That’s the amazing thing about this show—the way that I grew up listening to Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic” or the way that girls blast “Since U Been Gone” is the same way you can blast “Bitch of Living” or “Don’t Do Sadness.” There’s a song in Spring Awakening for every single kid out there going through all of the issues of growing up. That’s why I’m most proud to be part of this show.” Baring It All: Michele has some of the most intense moments in Spring Awakening, including a controversial sex scene at the end of Act 1. “People like to focus on that scene,” she says. “I always get questions like ‘How does it make you feel? How do your parents feel?’ You know what? It’s a sex scene. It’s risky, but I am so comfortable working with co-star Jonathan Groff. He makes it easy for me.” She’s quick to point out that every cast member gets a moment to bare their souls onstage before the end of the show: “I don’t consider sex scene any more challenging or intense or risky than anything anyone else does on the stage,” she explains. “Everyone is putting themselves out there.” Eponine or Wendla? Earlier this season, Michele faced a dilemma most young actresses would dream of—whether to play Eponine in the revival of Les Miserables (she was cast during rehearsals for Spring Awakening’s off-Broadway run) or follow Sheik and company uptown. “I can’t express to you how much I love Les Miz,” she says. “I grew up with it. It will always be important to me. But after working on Wendla for six years, I felt I owed it to her and myself and the creative team to take this next step.” She remains hopeful of getting another chance to sing “On My Own” one day. “Maybe they’ll revive it a third time. Why not?” she says with a smile. Role Model: Asked about her dream roles, the sprightly young actress speaks first of her favorite leading lady. “I’m such a fan of Idina Menzel!” Michele exclaims. “I think she’s made a wonderful career in this business. I love her so much, and any role she’s played, I’d love to be able to follow in her footsteps.” Indeed, the “L” word becomes a refrain when Michele talks about her future onstage. “I love the theater!” she says with joy. “I’d love to be able to play all different roles, whether it’s Maureen in Rent or Maria in West Side Story. I would just love to be involved in this business forever.’ Lea Michele Trivia *Lea has known Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang) since she was 8 years old. *Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele starred as the original leads in the Tony award winning Broadway musical Spring Awakening together and played the roles of friends who turn into epic lovers. In real life the pair are extremely close and have been best friends since they met. It was even Jonathan Groff who actually introduced Lea to Glee creator Ryan Murphy who wrote the part of Rachel with her in mind. Fans of Spring Awakening shipped for Jonathan to guest in Glee as a love interest for Lea's character Rachel and succeeded when he was cast as Jesse St. James who would become her character's first serious boyfriend. *Broadway fans also heavily campaigned for the role of Rachel's biological mother to be played by fellow Broadway singer and legend Idina Menzel straight from the show's first episode due to their uncanny similar appearance. Lea and Idina had met through Broadway before and is one of Lea's idols. Lea has said that she has been told her entire life how much she looks like Idina who is also a fellow New Yorker. *Due to Lea Michele's use of hair extensions her character Rachel's hair will often change length dramatically in a supposed amount of time on the show. It will sometimes have 'grown' 'got shorter' and then be longer than ever all in the same episode which never generally spans more time than a week. Category:Cast Category:Images of Rachel Berry Category:2010 Primetime Emmy Nominees Category:Rachel Berry Category:Glee Category:Glee (TV series)